Disappointed. :(

As a high school librarian, I had many students ask for this book. I usually try to get items the students want to read, so I ordered the book. My brother loved the books, I enjoyed the show. I didn't do enough research before buying the book.

It is due to be delivered this week. In anticipation, I started to listen to the audiobook as I drive to work. I was and am appalled at the frequent use of the word "****". I think this might be a problem for a high school library. Perhaps an abridged version for schools?

You think that word would be a problem in a high school library? Have you heard any of the kids talk when they are amongst themselves?

A Stephen King book wouldn't sway their language one way or the other. Hell, I'm happy there are kids that still want to read.

Now, before someone jumps down my throat, I'm not suggesting all kids that age use foul language. My friends and I sure did though.

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I agree. I think we try to keep kids these precious little idiots. Instead of hitting these words and ideas head on, we want to bury their little heads in the sand. I am so sick of censorship.

Black out every f**k and as you read, let them insert their own choice of words. I bet it gets a lot more colorful than a simple f*ck. JMO. No animosity here to the original poster. THis is just a broad comment to society in general. Edit books, edit movies, edit thinking, edit freewill, edit edit edit.

It is not censoring we need to do.....we need to enlighten kids. Reading a few f words is not going to change things too much for a kid. They will hear curses everywhere. With Stephen King, they will learn how to use their imaginations, how to write effectively and how the written word can bring colour to their lives. Swear words have a place in modern writing. To be good at characterization, writers must to true to their characters. A rough street character, in a story, is not going to say "Oh, Fudge"! They will say...."Oh F*uck!"

Being on staff at a school is a difficult position - being a librarian or an English teacher places you in an even more difficult position. You are open to criticism from the old battle axes whose petticoats are so far up inside them that they speak like Jane Austen. I disallow swearing in my classroom, but will let it slide depending on the circumstances. One of those circumstances is when it comes to studying novels. Australian schools have a policy wherein students must not just read the classics, but should read texts from a very wide pool. If a text has swearing in it, I let them use it in the context of the book. Reading is about opening your eyes to the world, not closing them to it.

Being on staff at a school is a difficult position - being a librarian or an English teacher places you in an even more difficult position. You are open to criticism from the old battle axes whose petticoats are so far up inside them that they speak like Jane Austen. I disallow swearing in my classroom, but will let it slide depending on the circumstances. One of those circumstances is when it comes to studying novels. Australian schools have a policy wherein students must not just read the classics, but should read texts from a very wide pool. If a text has swearing in it, I let them use it in the context of the book. Reading is about opening your eyes to the world, not closing them to it.

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Oh absolutely. Some of the most progressive teachers have their hands tied by the rules in place where they teach. It's a shame.

I imagine it must be difficult being a librarian in a school. If she ordered the books, then she is somewhat responsible. It is not easy dealing with parents who want to censore the written word...they tend to forget just how many outlets there are out there where cursing is the norm. If kids must be subjected to the bad words, it should be by book.

Many school libraries don't carry popular fiction for that reason (cursing). While I don't condone censorship (and my own kids read pretty much whatever they want to read), I do think that school librarians have to be careful about this. They have different standards than a librarian in a public school, fair or not. I have the right to allow my kids to read whatever, but I do NOT have the right to make that decision for another person's kid.

Most artists are not willing to self-censor for school libraries (and I completely understand that). Perhaps what has to happen is that a school library refers kids to the public library for titles that are potentially troublesome in that aspect.

Many school libraries don't carry popular fiction for that reason (cursing). While I don't condone censorship (and my own kids read pretty much whatever they want to read), I do think that school librarians have to be careful about this. They have different standards than a librarian in a public school, fair or not. I have the right to allow my kids to read whatever, but I do NOT have the right to make that decision for another person's kid.

Most artists are not willing to self-censor for school libraries (and I completely understand that). Perhaps what has to happen is that a school library refers kids to the public library for titles that are potentially troublesome in that aspect.

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Or, in the school library, you know how they have a sport section or a history section etc...? Maybe they could have a special banned books and curse words section and kids have to have special written permission to check those out.

A parent has challenged a book on the required reading list for the sophomore honors English class at the local high school.
The book is The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende.
The parent has taken excerpts of the book and based her challenge solely on those......she has not read the book, and does not care about the context of the story. She cites the subject matter to be unacceptable for her 15-year old son to read.
A committee upheld the use of the book for the class, and the parent has now appealed to the school board.

I don't agree with this parent..... all the reviews I have seen for the book give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Oh absolutely. Some of the most progressive teachers have their hands tied by the rules in place where they teach. It's a shame.

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I teach at a very small school in a small town (600 people) and you would think that would make it more difficult to be progressive. However, my head teacher is an ex-lawyer and is absolutely brilliant at whittling down anyone who stands in the way of broadening the minds of students. I'm very lucky.

A parent has challenged a book on the required reading list for the sophomore honors English class at the local high school.
The book is The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende.
The parent has taken excerpts of the book and based her challenge solely on those......she has not read the book, and does not care about the context of the story. She cites the subject matter to be unacceptable for her 15-year old son to read.
A committee upheld the use of the book for the class, and the parent has now appealed to the school board.

I don't agree with this parent..... all the reviews I have seen for the book give it 4 out of 5 stars.

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Along the same lines, when I was in college (as an older, nontraditional student in a night class full of older, nontraditional students) We had a married couple refuse -- FLAT AZZ REFUSE -- to read Grapes of Wrath. These were adults. Yes, they have a right to read what they want, but as far as I'm concerned, you signed up for a class where reading was required and the syllabus was in place before said class started. If you were opposed to reading anything during that class, don't sign up for the class! I'm sure there was a waiting list of people who wanted to take the class. I think it's rude to expect the teacher to cater to your agenda. I was furious because dammit! I HAD TO READ GRAPES OF WRATH! (but I'm glad I did.)

And yes, this wasn't the only literature class that would have fulfilled their requirements. As far as I'm concerned, if you have not read the book you have NO RIGHT, NO SAY in it at all. Read it and then complain and I will respect you. But UNTIL YOU READ IT, your words don't mean crap to me.

A parent has challenged a book on the required reading list for the sophomore honors English class at the local high school.
The book is The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende.
The parent has taken excerpts of the book and based her challenge solely on those......she has not read the book, and does not care about the context of the story. She cites the subject matter to be unacceptable for her 15-year old son to read.
A committee upheld the use of the book for the class, and the parent has now appealed to the school board.

I don't agree with this parent..... all the reviews I have seen for the book give it 4 out of 5 stars.

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Isn't it always the people who do not read the books, who make negative remarks and want censorship? Most of them probably never sit down and read. If they had, they would be educated enought to make informed decisions.

I don't censor books. I will have this book available but I will be careful about who checks it out of the library. Actually, I am a librarian at a combination school (k-12). Some kids have asked me to get 50 shades of gray. I sent them to public library. My principal who is 65 would have a fit if I had that on the shelf.

On another line. I have the DVD Lincoln in my library sent out by Disney. Yes it has the word **** in it.

Yes I use the word, but never where a student can hear me!

Thanks Ben for an example of how you use books in your class. A great argument!

It will be on the shelf, but in our k-12 school of 145 kids (where I know all the parents and pretty much what they allow) I will help students choose from books that are acceptable for them.

10,000 books in the library, I am sure they can find something that is acceptable to them and their parents.

I don't censor books. I will have this book available but I will be careful about who checks it out of the library. Actually, I am a librarian at a combination school (k-12). Some kids have asked me to get 50 shades of gray. I sent them to public library. My principal who is 65 would have a fit if I had that on the shelf.

On another line. I have the DVD Lincoln in my library sent out by Disney. Yes it has the word **** in it.

Yes I use the word, but never where a student can hear me!

Thanks Ben for an example of how you use books in your class. A great argument!

It will be on the shelf, but in our k-12 school of 145 kids (where I know all the parents and pretty much what they allow) I will help students choose from books that are acceptable for them.

10,000 books in the library, I am sure they can find something that is acceptable to them and their parents.

Tina

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Please know that in all this conversation, nothing was directed at you. Just the idea in general. You posted a great topic of conversation and it met its goal.

By the time I was in high school most of my friends and I were pretty adept at swearing.....I wasn't the seasoned veteran of the f-bomb that I've become in my older years but we were all pretty good at using the f-word as a noun, adjective, adverb, gerund, preposition, subject, predicate, participle.....sometimes all in the same sentence.....

They're high school students. So at worst, they're 14 years old. They've heard the word f**k a million times in their life already. It's time to stop coddling. They'll run into that word in life; time to get used to it.